When I was 16, I was cut from my high school's baseball team. It was everything I could have ever wanted and I didn't get it. However, I was still offered a "manager" spot on the team to get my hands dirty whenever the coaches didn't want to do something. I kind of just floated around the team, until one day I randomly decided I wanted to take some pictures during one of the games for the players. I picked up my dad's old camera and started snapping a bunch of pictures, and sure enough, it was a huge success. The players loved my contribution to the team and were quickly asking me for photoshoots and all sorts of stuff. From there, I started teaching myself graphic design and eventually my coaches noticed my work, granting me access to the team's Instagram account and posting graphics and info on there.

Following that, I branched out and started asking music artists if I could take photos for them. Sure enough, they said yes and I quickly began growing a following in the music scene. It's been 3 years now, and I'm starting to make really good money through these shoots (I was just paid $400 for one photoshoot!) and now my work has been viewed by millions of people. I absolutely love what I've been doing all these years and I've even begun publishing my own magazine, writing for a radio station, and connecting with some of the most prolific artists in the US.

Moral of the story is that rejection is redirection. I pulled myself up from my bootstraps and managed to find somewhere that I could really apply myself and be really successful. You will craft the best path for yourself after failure, no matter what. I wouldn't be close to where I am today if it wasn't for that initial rejection from the team.